Here at Phuket Fit we all love to hear a life changing story. How things turned around after finding new inner strength and determination whilst training with us. And we all love a great before and after picture too! But what about the after after?! The bit we dont usually hear is what happened when you went home. Has it really changed your life or did it just simply change a small period of time in your life?

Id like to introduce you to Rasmus Maack or Mack as he was known around camp. Mack is a bit of a repeat offender here at Phuket Fit (cue the 80s Mark Morrison song return of the Mack!) having trained with us several times. His journey has been pretty epic to say the least but its his continuing journey that has us all checking in with him to see what hes up to. His accomplishments have been astounding and we are very proud to share his story so all of you can see what is achievable not just in the amount of time you may be with us at Phuket Fit but what you take away with you to keep constantly pushing those boundaries.

This is Macks story in his words

I’ve actually been to Phuket Fit Training Camp three times – two times back in 2012 and then again back in February/March (2014).

I’m a Boxing/Kickboxing instructor in Denmark and my visits to Phuket Fit back then, was partly to learn new techniques, get inspiration for my classes back home and partly to lose weight. I figured that nonstop training and eating only chicken for a month ought to do the trick. And it did! – I lost 10kg both the times I was there.

The first time it didn’t last long though. I went back to Denmark with good intentions, but the everyday life and bad habits took over, and so I regained the weight that I lost. Second time was somewhat better.

Anyway, I picked up running last year (2013) with my first ‘challenge’ ever (you know, race number, a finish line etc) – a mere 10k at New Years Eve, and it grew on me.

A total of ten challenges last year including three marathons and quite a few mud/obstacle races.

I went to Phuket Fit this year because I missed the dedication, the people, the ‘feeling’, the ability (possibility) to give 110% every time and not have a care in the world besides where your water bottle is at. Also this time I knew that Crosstraining had come to Phuket Fit and wanted to improve that (getting ready for competition status next year). Last but not least, losing weight again. 9 kg lost plus gaining a lot of muscle.

Having knee and back injuries for the greater part of 2013 (but running anyway) my body felt amazing after a month of warm weather, good nutrition and excellent feedback from the instructors, and I went straight for the first challenge, and the next, and the next….

If you feel that you can’t, or something is impossible – Never give up…everything is achievable once you dedicate yourself to its possibility…

Im sure youre just as blown away by Macks accomplishments as I am and it just shows you that life is never like a straight line. It can take you in a different direction whenever you choose. If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse. This may be tough to accept, but it’s the truth. Stop making excuses for why you can’t get it done and start focusing on all the reasons why you must make it happen. The only person who can truly hold you back is you. Its time to choose whats best for you.

Oftentimes when we feel stuck, we are waiting for something magical to happen. We wonder when the winds will change in our favor. We do this instead of embracing the present and admitting the change we need to make. What is keeping you from stepping forward?

Ive been looking forward to writing this article for some time now as Masayuki, or Masa as he is affectionately known to all is not just another story to me but became a very good friend and source of inspiration to me on my own journey.

I remember the first time I saw Masa. He was a neighbor of mine in the early part of me arriving here in Phuket although we never really knew each other then other than a passing hello. I remember thinking that although he was a big guy I was impressed by the fact that he brought his own wake board to Thailand with him and respect for not letting his size hold him back from doing something he was obviously passionate about.

I continued to see Masa around Phuket Fit camp grounds and he kind of became this evolving charachter to me. I would sit and watch in amazement as on top of taking part in classes I would see him take part in his own training making sure to be constantly pushing forwards. The craziest to me watching him put on jogging bottoms and a hoody on top of the 2 or 3 T-shirts and singlets he would usually wear in 40 degree heat and drag a weighted car tyre around the camp for 10 laps or so turning him into a human sponge of sweat!

As happens quite frequently over here, injuries creep in and Masa started to get bad knees but rather than let that be an obstacle, he walked around itor rather rowed in this case. I began to see Masa in the same place whilst stretching or doing my own training. Id watch him drag out a rower, prepare for about half an hour taping himself up, stretching himself out and carefully selecting music and preparing electrolytes and proceed to row for what seemed like an hour and it was really around this time we properly met. Wed talk and joke whilst he prepared and I asked him what he was doing on the rower. 10k hed casually reply and off hed go. The next week Id ask the same thing. 11K was the casual reply this time. The following week Im not sure where my head was head but I asked if I could join him and there began our friendship and tortuous few months of ever increasing rows. 12k, 13k, 14k, 15kPushing each other every day right up to the point of us doing a 22k half marathon row taking over 90 minutes!

Masa was quite the popular guy of camp. Extremely approachable and polite with an almighty sense of humor and always had time to stop for a talk and inspire many others on their similar journeys so it was my privilege to be able to sit down and talk with him about his life changing journey.

Just seeing this amazing before and after photos should be enough to inspire even the most jaded person. Many of these shots taken wearing the same clothing before he lost the weight. What a transformation! Especially in the size of the smile!

Masa, tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am a chef from Denmark. My mother is from Finland and my father from Japan. I turned 31 whilst in Phuket.

How did you find out about Phuket Fit and choose to train there?

A good friend of mine was talking and planning training Muay Thai up in Chang Mai and I thought it sounded like an awesome idea so I thought well if he can do it then so can I!. I felt leaving home and doing this whilst immersed in the culture would help me and give constant reminders of why I was there so that I would never slip backwards.

How long have you been at Phuket Fit?

I arrived on October 22nd 2013 and was originally due to go home May 18th 2014 but after seeing how far I had already come and with help from Phuket Fit and Will Elliott (general manager of Phuket Fit) I was able to extend my stay until July 9th.

What were your goals?

My main goal was obviously to lose weight but most importantly to get my health back. Most people these days only start looking after themselves when its too late or they have already had health scares from their Doctors. Well I didnt want this to happen to me. I was just so tired of simply not fitting in to society anymore or at least not feeling as though I was. I was tired of being the big guy when it came to family or friends or whatever social events I was attending. There was always a smile on the mask but sadness behind it. But mainly what hit home most was my sister saying to me that my niece needs her uncle in her life for at least another sixty years! Family is the most important thing in life and I want to be around for them for a long time to come!

Your visual results are just incredible! What was the final result after all your hard work?

I actually lost 30% overall mass. On day one I stepped on the scales at 154.6kg and today I am leaving at 108.2kg so a 46.4kg drop (thats just over 7 stone for you Brits reading!) My goal after a while of being here was to see if I could hit the 100 pounds mark and I did it with a few weeks to spare!

What are you most proud of?

I was extremely happy to hit that 100 pounds loss target but really I am not proud of myself at all for getting into this condition in the first place. I feel awful about doing this to myself but I guess I can be proud of the fact that I didnt back down from when I first decided to come to Thailand to train this way. The best feeling that I have from all of this is that I made my parents proud of me for achieving this and following it through. I wont say followed through to the end because I am still continuing this journey but I will never allow myself to fall back to old habits. This is now my new way of life.

Did you face any setbacks on the way?

Sure there were many hurdles along the way but hurdles are there to be jumped. Carrying a heavy load will take its toll on your joints and I suffered quite a few times with problems in my legs, ankles, knees, shins etc but I always had great trainers at Phuket Fit to adjust certain exercises so I could still take part in the class. One of my favorite trainers Jenna Barney Barnard always kept me motivated and even the times when I didnt feel like it she would order me to do it anyway so I was always pushed but never dangerously. Right at the start of my journey I injured my tricep and chest trying to do a pull up which meant I could only use the cycles there so that there was no impact at all. I would spend up to 4 and a half hours a day just using the bikes so I never stopped working. Also coming down to my last few weeks here on the night of my Birthday. Ironically giving myself a very rare treat of ice-cream, on the very first spoonful I bit into a chunk of chocolate which completely shattered one of my teeth so I had to cut back on training for my final few weeks due to getting dental surgery! Perhaps it was meant to be though as dentists in Thailand are about 1/8th the price of Denmark!

Do you have any advice for those that might be thinking of following this same kind of journey?

Well, hopefully I wont get sued by Nike here but Just do it! Dont think of any of the what ifs or let fear creep in and stop you. Its an adventure! If you put in the effort then people are going to be cheering for you the whole way. Put on your blinkers and DO NOT take your eye off that goal. My main rule was Dont cheat on the street! and never ever look at the back page of the menu!

What was your training regime?

Well I originally came with the intention of losing weight through Muay Thai but I was realistic with myself at the start. I knew I was too big to be doing proper Muay Thai to begin with so I promised myself to lose some weight first to take off the load and then revisit it later on. Phuket Fit had so much to offer on the program schedule though that I had no fear of not finding anything to do. I didnt want to get bored of doing anything so I really mixed up my training and tried to keep momentum going forwards. I did a big mix of classes which was the Bodyfit, Cross training and Yoga and then did my own thing during the middle or end of the day that was in the form of either rowing, weighted tyre drags, exercise bike or the indoor weights gym. I tried to do something 3 times a day but just listened to how my body felt. Even then though Id most likely tell it to shut up and train anyway!

What was your most memorable moment?

Its all been one big memorable moment really but I guess things that stick out are, walking up Big Buddha hill for the first timeand also for the last time! Those of you that have climbed it will know what Im talking about. the hill that never quits!

Did you prepare yourself before coming out to take on such a big feat?

Sure! AbsolutelyI think I hit the gym about 8 times in the months leading up to me coming over but celebrated the hour of intense training by rewarding myself with pizza and Coca Cola! I should have prepared more I know but I actually felt selfish for leaving everyone for such a long time so with all the people I left behind there were goodbye dinners etc and right before I left I had a huge going away party with a live band. I guess my mindset was still stuck in old ways and having big blow outs was a way of saying goodbye to my old ways.

What was your favorite exercise?

Rowing I would say was my favorite exercise as I used to be a rowing coach but over here at Phuket Fit what started out as my worst and least favorite exercise turned into my most likeable! Running was not something I was built for. Certainly not back then and not even now. Im never going to be a runner but the more weight I lost, the easier it became and because I couldnt really do it before it made it that much better and meaningful to me that i could do it now without any problems.

What have you learned from all of this to take home with you?

Hopefully that this has changed my mindset and lifestyle forever. I didnt come here to do all of this and go back to bad habits so I hope my stubbornness for being good stays with me now. Also as I hope to go back to being a chef when I get home that all of the knowledge of nutrition and what works with food and doesnt work translates into my career and that I can create tasty and nourishing good healthy food. Just because its healthy does not mean it has to taste bad!

Are you hoping to come back again?

Right now Im really looking forward to going home and seeing my family and friends and surprising them with how I now look but yes one day I would really love to come back even if its just for small holidays. I am responsible for my transformation but immersing yourself with surroundings that remind you every minute of the day why you are here is what made all the difference.

Masa, thank you for your time, your friendship and for becoming inspiration to all around you including myself. Be very very proud of yourself. I know I am of you

First, tell us a little about yourself. Who you are, where youre from, how old you are, what you do back home?

Sarah Jean Bradbury is a 36 year old Administrative worker from Toronto Ontario. Duane is 37 years old and is an Agile Coach (software development) working for the Canadian Government.

How did you find out about Phuket Fit?

D: Reading about the success stories of extreme weight loss is what really made up our minds on coming to Phuket Fit. Seeing the before and after pictures of others that had achieved amazing transformations had a real impact on me.

What first made you want to come?

D: A few months before we set off I had a dream that I was in Thailand training and losing weight. As soon as I woke up I told Sarah that we were coming to Thailand to train! We didnt know how we were going to be able to do it, but we pulled it off and were on that plane here before we knew it!

How long have you been at Phuket Fit and how much longer are you planning on staying?

S: We got to camp on our 5th Anniversary, February 14th, and are staying for 3 months.

Did you set any goals for yourself while training here?

D: We both wanted to kick start a new, healthier lifestyle to continue at home. We also wanted to up our fitness level and lose as much weight as possible. Also, as odd as it may sound, I wanted to be able to fit in public seating. I would love to go to a hockey game and not ‘overflow’ the seat. Larger people would understand this.

How did you do at meeting those goals?

S: I think we have done really well! Our bodies have completely changed! Together we have lost 60 pounds and gained a lot of muscle!

D: Most importantly we have learned about a different, healthier life style that we can try to replicate back home.

What accomplishment have you achieved while you were here that you’re most proud of?

S: When we first arrived I could not do 4 burpees in a row. I did 75 the other day (50 straight!)

D: I am proud to see how we have progressed along the way. The other day we redid a previous workout from when we first started working with our personal trainer and smashed our first times.

What kinds of challenges of setbacks did you face along the way?

S: When trying to lose weight the numbers can be daunting. You think youve had a fantastic week of exercise and were eating really well you think youve lost 3kgand you are up 500g. Progress pictures and really looking at how your clothes are fitting can be a better indicator of how your body is changing!

Do you have any advice for someone who might be looking at TMT for fitness or weight loss?

S: Phuket Fit is a great place to get a good mix of Fitness and Muay Thai. Coming into this adventure I had not done a minute of Muay Thai but figured if I couldn’t pick that up easily I could always fill my time with Yoga and Fitness classes. Reaching our goals had a lot to do with having the grill on site and knowing that the choices we had would be healthier options than what we could find on the street.

D: It is nice to be in an environment where everyone is there to reach a goal (even though it may be different from your own). It can be very encouraging and inspiring. I enjoy TMT because you just don’t have the fitness classes but also Muay Thai. I really enjoy Muay Thai training but when it is so much fun is it still a workout?

Which classes did you attend and what did you find the most exciting or challenging about them?

S: We started out just doing Muay Thai for the first month. We were then matched up with an amazing fitness trainer and started doing personal sessions with her and that is when we really started to see our fitness grow.

D: We are now doing fitness privates, bodyfit classes, Muay Thai privates and are walking up the Big Buddha hill as many times as we can. Each session pushes us in different ways. In Muay Thai you have to have your brain turned on to know which move to do next, in Bodyfit it is a different mental challenge to keep myself moving and not to rest!

What surprised you the most about Phuket Fit?

D: How friendly all the people are! Everyone has their own goals and they seem to want to help the next person achieve theirs. There are no outcasts here!

Tell me about one fun memorable thing that happened to you during your time at Phuket Fit.

S: There are so many to choose from! The beach Muay Thai class on BBQ Beatdown day was pretty fun and memorable – during the swim break before leaving I got caught in a few big waves and got pretty pummelled. The next day my trainer was asking me about it, she was asked if she ‘knew Sarah, from Duane and Sarah’ like we were a t.v. show!

How would you recommend someone prepare before coming to Phuket Fit?

D: Break your goal down into smaller to do items and slowly complete each one and chip away at the mountain. Also ensure you are serious about your goals because it is a true journey, and will last a life time. We took 1 month to adjust, the next month is to kill the old habits and the 3rd month to form new healthy habits to bring home with us.

S: After you arrive go at your own pace! Listen to your body. We came from a cold climate and tried to jump right into it. We needed to take time to adjust to the heat and time difference and get over our jet lag! Know that everyone has their own pace and as long as you are constantly pushing yourself out of your comfort zone your fitness will improve!

What are your favorite and least favorite exercises you encountered at Phuket Fit?

S: I have liked doing bag work with the Muay Thai trainers. A good mix of cardio, Muay Thai and lots of laughs. There is not a lot of enjoyment to be had when dragging a weighted tire around camp at 2pm on a hotter than hot day!

What tip did you learn at Phuket Fit that youll integrate into your life back home?

D: We hope to integrate so many things into our lives back home including regular exercise and healthy eating habits

Do you think you’ll come back to Phuket Fit?

S: We have been thinking of plans on how to get ourselves back here since week 4! We will be back as soon as we can!

Since the writing of this article, recently back in Canada Sarah suffered a very serious leg injury. All of us at Phuket Fit wish her the speediest of recoveries and wish her well. Also thinking of Duane who no doubt will be running around like a headless chicken after her! Luckily he is now more than fit enough to be able to do this! Best wishes to the both of you!

Guest Testimonials: Ali MacKellar

I would like to start off by saying that training at Phuket Fit has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. For as long as I can remember I have always struggled with my weight, for numerous reasons varying from my job, my habits and health issues that combined to make me feel as if weight loss was always going to be unattainable for me. My decision to go to Phuket Fit was my last hope for achieving a healthy lifestyle.

My first class was Bodyfit and boy was it a wake up a call. I couldnt run the warm up lap of 400 meters without stopping to gasp for air, I struggled to complete most exercises and was almost always 5 steps behind everyone else. After speaking to the trainers they helped me to adjust the exercises to meet my level of fitness, and day by day I noticed my fitness starting to improve.

It took six weeks for me to build my fitness up to the point where I could properly participate in classes, but once I was there I found that I had made a change within myself. I was no longer the miserable unfit girl who had arrived at the camp, unable to keep up with the rest of the class. Instead I began to enjoy the classes, I could not only complete them, but I could perform at the same level as everyone else. I began to enjoy being challenged and was driven to achieve more. Instead of feeling like I HAD to eat healthy to lose weight, I WANTED to eat healthy, and exercise became a welcome part of my daily routine.

Id be lying if I said there werent days when I thought it was too hard, when I wanted to give up when even after all the hard work, I still wasnt getting the results I wanted. The drive to continue came in the form of my personal trainer, Alecia, whose constant support motivated me to change my attitude and reinforced my determination to make the change I wanted to see in myself a reality.

Now at Week 12 I have a lost a total of 13.5kg, I can slam medicine balls like a machine, can do burpees like theyre a full time job and can run a full lap of camp without breaking a sweat. Phuket Fit provided the perfect environment to attain the healthy lifestyle Id always wanted, but never been able to achieve back home in Australia. This is only the start of my weight loss journey, but the passionate trainers, healthy eating plan and all the friends that I have made at the camp who formed my support system are what have made it possible for me to achieve my goals, and I would recommend it to anyone who is struggling to get started and make the change.

Every Wednesday night at Phuket Fit, MMA & Fitness Camp, we offer a weekly weight loss lecture presented by a variety of guest speakers. Trainers, nutritional experts and guests from the community are just a few of the guests you might discover by attending one of the weekly presentations. Every Wednesday night at 7 P.M. on the fitness mats.

Last weeks presenter was Emily Farish. Shes a a licensed Primary Health Care provider who is also a licensed Acupuncturist, Traditional Chinese Medicine specialist, medical herbalist with herb-drug interaction training who also synthesizes a western medicine background into her practice. She is a consultant for Atmanjai wellness center which offers a “boxer detox” program for those staying at Phuket Fit. Her specialty is in functional medicine, weight loss, pain management, and customizing food as medicine plans that are tailored to the individual depending on their health and wellness goals. She can be reached at emilyfarish@hushmail.com.

Here is a brief summary of what she spoke about

How to overcome and address plateaus that can hinder from further weight loss

(Healthy, sustained weight loss)

Important things to consider: Health and fitness go hand in hand in order to address any weight loss or fitness plateaus you might be experiencing. You might be doing all the “right things” yet that pesky weight can’t seem shift no matter what you do.

Don’t be discouraged. Getting out of a weight loss plateau affects many people. Keep doing all the healthy habits that you are implementing at Phuket Fit and consider the following:

Chronic long term conditions that may be keeping you at weight loss plateau:

–Insomnia, and or sleep issues. While taking a sleeping pill can be helpful for the short term, long term use of sleeping pills doesn’t address the “root” of the underlying issue which robs your body of necessary energy it needs to repair, rebuild and lose weight. Not only do we accomplish less with sleep, but one also burns less calories. The body’s long term reaction as a result of this is to hoard calories as fat, making our weight loss goals more difficult than they need to be.

Lack of sleep also decreases growth hormone levels. Growth hormone is a protein that helps regulate the body’s proportions of fat and muscle in adults. With less growth hormone, we reduce the ability to lose fat and grow muscle.

Consider supplements: GABA (amino acid before bed) or melatonin. Keep to a regular sleep schedule (as much as possible).

–Fatigue (are you exercising too much, and or are you just plain tired and wired?) One way to ask you self (and be honest) is if you have chronic sugar cravings, NEED to start your day with coffee, or around 4pm you MUST have coffee or some sort of sweet thing to get you through. When your body suffers from long term fatigue, it is not able to metabolize carbohydrates as well. This leads to an increased storage of fats and higher levels of blood sugar in the body which can contribute to your weight plateau.

Consider: Eating more protein throughout the day to stabilize blood sugar levels. Taking Vitamin C daily either in tablet or from food can boost your immune system and help fight fatigue (Vitamin C is an important “food” for your adrenal glands, which are responsible for synthesis of many different hormones and stress responses in the body). When you give your body the “right” source of energy, it can work for you rather than against you.

Foods high in Vitamin C: Broccoli, green, red, and yellow bell peppers, kale, papaya, strawberries, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, and kiwi (yes all of these foods have more vitamin C than oranges).

–PAIN-if your body is suffering from any chronic, acute, or long term pain (ex: injury, PMS, or structural) your body will make this a PRIORITY over your weight loss (Just like humans, immune systems also have numbered priority lists). By addressing the pain, your body can move out of “guarding” mode and into “weight loss” mode.

Consider: working with physical therapist, massage therapist, acupuncturist, and or functional medicine specialist to get you out of pain.

–EAT foods that stabilize blood sugar levels so that you don’t have food cravings, and or go into starvation mode (thus, holding onto fat). Eat more meals throughout the day so that your body has the building blocks it needs and can shift accordingly. Have heavier meals during the day, and light meal for dinner if possible.

Consider: digestive enzymes and probiotics to optimize your digestion to decrease any bloating, belching, and or gas. When you don’t digest, you go hungry, and you eat more. Your body then can store this extra energy (that is may not need to use) into your fat cells. It is what youDIGEST rather than what you EAT that matters (well yes, eating healthy matter, but if your digestion is impaired, your efforts are wasted).

–Hormonal Imbalances (this applies to men and women): Hormonal imbalances can keep your body at a plateau and even make you gain weight (particularly around the abdomen area) even if you are eating right, and exercising on a regular basis. Supplements like Omega 3, Vitamin B complex, and Vitamin D3 are helpful building blocks that all bodies need (regardless of any health issue) in order to shift a plateau. Take with meals to prevent nausea.

Current RDA values for daily amounts for vitamins or supplements intake are not set or studied at “therapeutic values.”—what does this mean? You may say “I am taking vitamins but I don’t know if they work or if they work at all,” yet the amount on the label might be too low for what your body needs.

–If you don’t know how much or what vitamin you should be taking on a daily basis, please consult a medical professional-they can customize the amounts and a health plan specifically to you.

–DON’T MINIMIZE OR IGNORE your health or any symptoms. It is your body telling you something is wrong. It can be something simple that can be fixed right away that might be hindering you from losing the weight that you want.

–Functional medicine understands that while your “lab reports” may be within normal limits, you still are not feeling well or as good as you used to. This is because many western lab reports have a very wide range of numerical values, and something is only treatable when the lab reports are at one end of the spectrum or the other (usually, but not in all cases). Functional medicine specialists look at lab reports and use their medical training as preventative care—i.e., they see where your health is going and curb it before your lab reports reflect something that is now a MAJOR health issue.

Functional medicine specialists are: Chinese Medicine Doctors, Acupuncturists who are also licensed medical herbalists (with herb and drug interaction training), Naturopaths (N.Ds), and MDs that specialize in “functional medicine”. It could take 3-10 weeks for most people to shift out of a plateau or even sooner by just a few ‘tweaks’ that help your body shift out of its plateau. You are worth it. If you don’t have your health, you can’t do much with your fitness or weight loss goals.

Thanks for the great information Emily, and well see everyone this Wednesday night for another excellent presentation!

Over the past year writing this blog, I’ve tried to emphasize the importance of not just paying attention to the scale. There are many ways to track health and fitness and your weight is just one small factor. Things like body-fat percentage, body measurements, photos, how your clothing fits and even timed fitness trials are all great ways to track progress on your weight-loss and fitness journey.

With that in mind, I’ve decided to put my money where my mouth is. No weigh-ins for the next fourteen weeks. Instead, I’ll be focusing on training for the Phuket Marathon, a 26.2-mile (42 KM) test of fitness and endurance. When one of my friends signed up, and asked if I’d be keen to join, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

Surely you can’t be serious?

I am serious, and don’t call me Sh… you get the joke. Needless to say, this isn’t going to be easy. I’ve never run in any sort of formal race and I would consider myself a very weak runner at present time. Simply put, I don’t like running. I would much rather glide on a cross trainer or sweat out the calories on a rowing machine, than jog for even a few minutes.

But that why I’m going to do it. If you aren’t willing to train in the areas where you’re weakest, you won’t be able to improve to your peak levels of performance.

What’s the plan?

For the next 14 weeks, I’ll be working on a marathon-training plan I found online. Some days I’ll be doing road runs, while other days I’ll be participating in Phuket Fit’s bodyfit and cross-training classes. It’s difficult for me to even run a 5k without stopping now, so that’s the first benchmark I’m aiming to pass. Right now, my jog/walk 5k time is 38:54, and I’m hoping to get that below 35:00 in the next two weeks. I’m realistic about my ultimate expectations, I doubt I’ll be able to jog the entire marathon after only 14 weeks of training, but if I work hard I know I’ll be fast enough to finish well under the 7.5-hour time limit.

So, that’s where things stand currently.

The marathon is June 8th. We’re 14 weeks away.

Have a great week of weight loss! If you set your mind on it, I know you can do it!

A thirty-year old chef from Denmark, Masa is spending seven months at Phuket Fit to lose weight, discover his fitness and drastically improve his health. Having worked as a chef for the past ten years, his past culinary jobs have included the prestige of the hotel industry and excitement of a wakeboarding cable-park. Early last year, he joined his friends in Bangkok for a wakeboarding holiday and fell in love with Thailand. His least favorite exercises are burpees and lunges, but he says that he’s starting to really enjoy jogging. This is his story.

How did you first hear about Phuket Fit?

I Googled “Muay Thai” on the internet and Phuket Fit was one of the places that came up. I decided to either train somewhere else in Chang Mai or at Phuket Fit in Phuket. I chose Phuket because my family wanted to go on vacation as well. It ended up being a great decision.

What motivated you to come?

Well, I wasn’t exactly a small boy when I arrived at camp, so weight loss was definitely one of the main goals. Also, I came to really just to change my life. I was tired of being so unhealthy and feeling bad all the time.

How long have you been here?

I arrived the 22nd of October and I’m here for seven months.

Have you set any goals for yourself to work toward while you’re training?

I set a goal of losing one KG every week. In my first two months here, I’ve lost 16 KGS. I started at 154.6 and now I’m down to 138.3. I don’t have a final weight goal in mind; I really want to just see how things go.

I hear you have something coming up that you’re excited about?

I’ve challenged a fellow guest at Phuket Fit to fight in the March BBQ Beatdown, so I’m really looking forward to that. I’m starting to train Western Boxing and Muay Thai now to start getting ready. I have only been doing fitness classes and yoga up to this point, but now I need to start learning Muay Thai technique.

Have any advice for someone who might be thinking about coming to Phuket Fit?

Jump into it. Just do it. Buy the ticket and get out here. The only other advice I would give is to do some prep work. I should have taken a month to build up my fitness, which would have been a good idea.

Has anything surprised you about Phuket Fit?

The people here are really awesome. I’m usually quite a social person, but when I came here, I closed up a bit. After a while I was able to open up. People are really friendly; high-fiving you during workouts, telling you what an awesome job your doing. It’s really cool. It doesn’t matter who you are, what size you are, anything like that… everyone is motivating you. It’s really awesome.

With A Staggering 95% Of The Vote

Congratulations To

Stefan Ramagge

For Winning The

Extreme 30 Day Transformation

As A Prize To Reward His Success,

Stefon Has Been Awarded

A Phuket Fit Hoodie!!

Congratulations To Both Competitors!

If you’ll be at Phuket Fit for at least a month and you would like to challenge someone to the transformation of a lifetime, e-mail Phuketfit@phuketfit.co.th and let me know. We can’t wait to see you around camp!

Please arrive a few minutes prior to 7 for the weight loss lecture!

Phuket Fit is proud to present our newest WeightLossThailand.com feature. Every month, two Phuket Fit guests will challenge each other to see who can achieve the most impressive fitness transformation in thirty days.

Well start each round by introducing our competitors and showing you their before photos. Then thirty days later, we will reveal their after shots and youll be able to see the fantastic changes theyve made.

That was 30 days ago.

Now, its up to you.

Help us decide a winner by voting for which guest has made the most impressive transformation by commenting on WeightLossThailand.com or on Phuket Fits Facebook page. Comment on either the blog or the Phuket Fit Facebook post saying either “Stefan” or “Julie” to register a vote. Only one vote allowed per person. Voting will be open throughout the entire week, and will close on Monday afternoon.

On Monday night, the votes will be tallied and the winner will walk away with some great Phuket Fit swag!

You ready to see their fantastic results? Here they are…

Competitor #1

Name: Stefan Ramagge

From: Gibraltar

Age: 23

Height: 168 cm

Starting Weight: 75.6 KG

Final Weight: 70.6 KG

Occupation: Professional Child

Competitor #2

Name: Julie Kristensen

From: Denmark

Age: 20

Height: 180 cm

Final Weight: 100.5 KG

Occupation: None

Vote below for who had the most impressive transformation by commenting either “Stefan” or “Julie” to help decide the champion!

If youll be at Phuket Fit for at least a month and you would like to challenge someone to the transformation of a lifetime, e-mail Phuketfit@phuketfit.co.th and let me know. We cant wait to see you around camp!